Tales From The Abbey!
by 44-Dragon-Mistress-44
Summary: Five boys. One madman. One secret training facility. Trouble brews.... A collection of one-shots set at random centred around Kai and the Demolition Boys during their childhood years thriving under the roof of Balkov Abbey. Non-Yaoi/slash!


**BEYBLADE fanfiction~**

**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT OWN _BEYBLADE_!! © Takao Aoki/Nelvana!! Sadly (cries).... If I did, Kai and Demolition/Blitzkrieg Boys would be the main characters and never ever lose a match!! (Evil laugh) :D Peace.

**SHORT STORIES: **ONE-SHOT/REQUEST (sort of).  
**GENRE: **Hurt/Comfort/Friendship/Angst and a bitta Humour.  
**RATING:** T (13+) for mentionings of abuse, blood and... okay not _really _profane language. Let's just say it contains words that the show itself wouldn't use.  
**CHARACTERS: **Kai, Tala & Bryan. Others mentioned.

When the horrors and trauma of abuse come back to haunt you during the night... it's good to know you're not always alone. _Six year old Kai wakes up from a terrible nightmare, but luckily, __Tala__ and Bryan are there to comfort him... and to share the pain. _Set pre-series... duh. ;P

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**(A/N):**

I know they're long (plus there's more at the end), and most are not that much of great importance, but they're just there for interest sake, so no biggies. Go ahead and scroll down. ;D

-- I've been meaning to write a Beyblade piece for like... (mental count of about 2 years)... ... EVA!! But yeah, only came to life now ^_^;; (Sheepish). Anyhoo, was requested by a friend to write any Beyblade piece so... it's finally done. Yay? :D And from one little piece sprung a boat load of more ideas!! :D Beyblade ROCKS!! Don't ever forget it!! XD

-- I've turned into a hectic hurt/comfort genre fan!! ^0^ Srsly, da stuf givz ya dem warmm fuzzies awl ova!! (Melts)

-- Alrighty, so as I'm sure you've already guessed, this is my first Beyblade fic, containing all my favourite characters (Kai and the Demolition Boys). It's gonna contain a collection of one-shots (I'm trying for 10 at the least) based on little stories of the boys (mostly Kai and Tala) growing up under Boris' influence.

-- Each one-shot will have its own genre and rating, but the majority will be what I've labeled the actual fic as, being Angst/Friendship. None will be rated under 13 (T) simply 'cause... it's the 'Abbey', and I'll be writing about things that might not be suitable for all. Scary stuff happens there (if you haven't, you should definitely check out the cut scenes of the Abbey in season one which they never showed in the dub version. They're on Youtube. ;D). So yeah, they kinda assisted/supported some of these stories.

-- So yeah, inserting a **WARNING **here (it's one of my 'teen' rated fics so I gotta. ;D): there will be blood (not too hectic though), some minor abuse, not really profanity unless you're sensitive to words like 'damn', 'hell' and 'bastard' 'cause that's all I use, Angst, hurt/comfort, lotta tears and some minor violence and verbal confrontation, some dark themes (like experimentation)... and yeah, that's all I can think of at this stage but I shall add on in the next if I've left anything out. ;D

-- And on that note: there _will not_ be any canon (existing) character deaths, rape/sexual activity, Yaoi/slash (guyxguy partnerships) or Yuri/femmeslash (girlxgirl partnerships)... not that they're many woman in the Abbey anyways XD, OCs (only minor side characters now and then)... and yeah, I'll add in the rest next time, kay? ;D

-- The ages here are going according to Wikipedia's information: Kai Hiwatari is 14 in season one (6 in this piece), Tala Valkov 15 (7) and Bryan Kuznetsov 16 (8). Also, as mentioned in the summary, these are set at random, meaning I just write as I go so you might read one piece where, say Kai for example is six years old, and then in the next he's seven.... Sowy, if that gets confusing but I will post their ages in the Authors Notes in each one-shot. ^^

-- Heehee~ So remember now, folks, they're still little kids, hints the weird grammar and the slight OOC-ness. ;D

-- I follow the Anime series (English dub) information with limited crossing over with the Manga's storyline, so I use spelling and names like '_Tala Valkov_' and not '_Yuriy Ivanov_'. All according to the English version.

And that about wraps it up. :D So without further ado... on with the story. :D Hope you all enjoy.

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**Tales From The Abbey...**

**...We Feel Your Pain...**

"_What was that, you insolent boy?!" Voltaire's sharp tone seemed to echo right through the walls of the dungeon cell as another loud crack accompanied by intense pain surged through the child's quivering frame like he'd been struck by lightning. Crimson streaming down his back as he coughed on his own sobs, spluttering gore around him._

"_I'm sorry," he cried, desperately trying to reach out to his elder and beg him to cease this inhumane punishment, "I-I'm sorry, grandfather!"_

_With no such luck however, for the man let out a vicious snarl before raising his deadly weapon and striking the helpless boy numerous times. "Silence!"_

_He __collapsed__, shivering, wheezing and just about choking on the warm, red liquid in which he found himself lying in; a miniature sea of blood... his _own _blood. He dare not look up and didn't need to for he sensed the dreaded footsteps approaching. _

_The man glared at him with demonic eyes, simply awaiting the next wrong move before striking again. The boy tried his best with every ounce of will power in his body to rein in the sobs. _

_It was all in vain though as yet another powerful crack irrupted like thunder through the Abbey's corridor system. That pool of redness seemed to expand and deepen at that, but the kid didn't seem to care anymore; his entire body had suddenly numbed from the severe pain that engulfed him. " __You __are _weak_!" came that voice again, and all he could do now was lie there and listen. "You bring shame upon our name!"_

_What could he do? Moments from losing consciousness, battered and bleeding, motionless, barely breathing, failing heart beat, lifeless eyes... and yet, the tears continued to pour._

_Those thunderous cracks... ah yes, who could forget about those? "Stop crying right this instance! Do you hear me, Kai?!" Oh, he heard alright, every word being mentally branded onto him, slowly seeping into his very soul. And Voltaire wasn't done yet, a harsh thrashing after every verbal assault, "You weak-pathetic- stupid-disrespectful-son of a -" And then came the final blow that rattled the earth around them -_

- Kai sat up with a start, breathing rapidly as he instinctively surveyed his whereabouts fearing his grandfather's presence. He was fortunate, this time however, noting that he was still in his cell in the dead of night. The Abbey was silent – except for Bryan and numerous other youngsters' constant snoring.

He wiped his brow and tried to regulate his respiration; the wave of fear still lingered while he desperately longed to erase that horrendous scene from his mind. _It_ _was... just a dream_.

... Or was it really?

His back suddenly tingled and felt damp, the fabric of his shirt uncomfortably clinging to it. With wide eyes he automatically reached under his collar and gingerly skimmed the surface past his shoulder… which in turn was a huge mistake as his worst fears were confirmed. He didn't even bother to look at his hand as he pulled it back, wiping the stickiness off onto his sleeve. _So_, he murmured sorrowfully in his mind, lowering his head, _it wasn_'_t just a dream_.

Those images replayed themselves over and over through his mind; every lashing, every harsh word, haunting him like the undead. There he sat under the cover of darkness, scrunching up his eyes and grasping his hair in hopes the images would simply dissappear. Tears blurred his vision when he reopened till the screaming in his head eventually overpowered him, trembling uncontrollably until he could no longer stand it.

Ignoring the stinging tightness from his back, he let out a distressed cry before bringing his legs up and burying his face in his arms crossed over the knees, sobbing thoughtlessly. _I hate this place! I hate it! Mom, Dad, where are you? Why is this happening? Why can't I get these pictures out of my head?_ The tears flowed down and began to smudge the paint on his cheeks, but he didn't care. He didn't care if the entire world had suddenly set eyes upon him right then and there. The one person whom he thought he could trust betrayed him; took him away from his family and sent him to a hell-hole, on top of that, mercilessly abusing him almost to the death. He just couldn't understand it. What had happened to that wonderful life he once had? _Why, grandfather? _He continued to sob, that question in particular doing laps in his head. _Why?_

---

Those not-so-silent whimpers however soon aroused another in the vicinity.

Tala forced his eyelids open and blinked, groaning mutely under his duvet upon hearing the endless sobbing. He knew what the noise was at an instant; living in the Abbey, you heard a lot of crying going on between the younger students once Boris and most of the guards had left for the night. **Crying is for the weak!** They were taught, but what the psycho-men didn't know wouldn't hurt them... nor the kids for that matter.

He gradually pushed the covers back, forcing himself to sit up and yawn drowsily. _Gee, thanks,...whoever you are. Now would you hush up already?!_ He snapped inwardly, angered at being woken up at such an hour. He rubbed his eyes with one arm and then listened, trying to get a lock on where the weeps were located, and appeared to be coming from... underneath him?

The little blue eyed redhead stiffened for a second, wondering if his ears were just acting up on him, but curiosity won the war in the end as he leaned over, securing a strong grip on the railings of his bed before slowly allowing himself to drop and hang upside down, taking a peek at the occupant of the bottom bed.

Sure enough, there he sat, huddled in an upright ball and sobbing, unaware of the older boy's looming gaze and bat-like posture.

Tala stared in bewilderment, _What's he crying for? It's so late and he knows we start training early._ Come to think of it, they discovered Kai had already gone to bed and was fast asleep by the time he and Bryan returned that evening from training... which was rather unusual since it was only after five thirty. _Maybe he's sick?_

"Hey, new kid," Tala said, attempting to get his attention. "You okay?"

He flinched at the sudden presence of another, but through continuous sniffs and sobs, a somewhat sarcastic 'Yes' came from the quivering frame, still refusing to look up.

Tala pouted at that answer, though from his current position it could've been mistaken for a smile – if the bluenette was making eye contact with him that is. "You don't look okay to me."

"So then," Kai sniffed, "why'd you ask?" And Tala held his scowl when he realized he didn't have a decent enough answer to that.

He then gradually slid down from the edge of his bunk-bed and crawled up onto Kai's, sitting cross-legged beside the younger boy. "What's the matter with you? Did you have a bad dream or something?" He asked, this time with more concern in his tone.

When the little blue-haired boy didn't respond but kept on sobbing, Tala hesitantly reached out and grasped his arm, shaking him mildly.

"Hey," he said, but only to be vigorously pushed away.

"Go away!"

The redhead's frown returned from Kai's stubbornness. Tala growled mutely under his breath, folding his arms forcefully across his chest and sulking as he tried to devise a way to get the other child to cease crying. What in the world was wrong to cause him to wake up in the middle of the night and start bawling his eyes out – not to mention waking _him_ up and then refusing to say what the problem was? Tala's gaze then directed over to their third roommate across the cell who was still fast asleep, stretched out over his bed and snoring like a tractor engine.

Bryan's own noises were hard enough to get accustomed to, but to do the same once combined with Kai's wails was asking for too much, and he needed his sleep _now_! He had to at least get _one_ to clam up, and it appeared that Kai wasn't about to any time soon whereas the middle Russian could always just shove one of his dirty socks down the eldest's throat. Tala smirked at the latter, but instead felt more sympathetic towards the youngest of the trio; seeing someone weeping that much was just plain sad. He yearned to help him, but the crimson eyed boy was making that task almost impossible, therefore Tala felt obliged to do the only thing any other sane and sleep deprived person in his situation would do: let Bryan deal with it.

With that, he blew up at his long tendrils and scooted off of Kai's bed and across the other side to where the lilac haired boy lay, on his stomach and face to the side, snoring peacefully.

"Bryan," Tala urged, just above a whisper. But without much success as Bryan groaned silently but didn't stir.

He had at least stop snoring much to Tala's own surprise, but no way was the redhead going to suffer through all the noise alone!

"Bryan!" He tried again, raising his voice, and this time succeeding as said person winced a tad at his volume before cracking one fatigued – and almost bloodshot - eye open and glaring at the midget wolf-boy.

"Whaaat?!" The elder groaned in annoyance, not bothering to alter his position.

Tala kept a neutral face and gestured at the other bed across from his where Kai still sat. "The new kid's crying and won't stop," he explained.

Bryan however didn't even bother to look, still focusing his irritation filled glare at his arouser. "So? What do you expect _me_ to do about it?"

"I think he had a nightmare."

The other eye suddenly cracked open at that and Bryan slowly raised his head up off of his pillow, glancing over at the previously pointed out direction and trying to focus his blurred vision. Nightmares weren't fun! Especially for the younger kids. He now also began hearing the sobs coming from the tiny form as it sat there hidden in the shadows, but a few inches away from the wall. Bryan blinked, losing the iciness in his stare but not the exhaustion as he sighed, running a hand through his short hair. _Sure, just leave this up to me._ _Damn,_ _I hate my life_, he muttered inwardly, gradually pulling back the covers and climbing out of his cozy bed.

---

It was truly shocking how much taller he was compared to Tala as they made their way over to the other bed; nearly twice his size to be exact and he was just a year older. However, Tala _was_ rather on the puny side for a seven year old. Even Kai, being a mere year _younger_, could pass off as a three year old.

Bryan yawned exhaustedly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before ducking under the bunk-bed and seating himself near the shivering boy. "Hey, kid," he began, "what's the problem?"

The little one tensed, hearing the subtle irritation in his tone. He knew the other boys weren't going to leave him till he gave a fair answer so moments after attempting to get his sobs under control he simply replied, "Nothing."

That being one of the worst lies Bryan had ever heard, he simply sighed again and decided to humour the boy, "So then I take it that waking up at this hour and crying your eyes out non stop is considered normal to you?"

A nod answered that as Kai slowly began to rock himself.

"Oh for the love of Pe-" Bryan cut himself off, losing the amusement he had previously found and reached out with both arms, "Just come here!" Placing his hands on the tiny body... which turned out to be a wrong move as Kai began struggling in his grip.

"No! Go away!"

Weak limbs forcefully kicked and flailed at the overpowering body he was being drawn closer towards, but to no avail as the older boy held onto him, firmly securing him onto his lap. "Hey, come now! Stop that!" Bryan ordered.

It was only then when Kai shook his head about trying to get free that he noticed just how red his face was from all the crying. Even in the dark with only a few candles lighting up the Abbey's corridors, the silvery streams of tears down his cheeks glistened brightly. The older boy couldn't help but feel a sting of sorrow as he watched. The boy must've been sobbing for a while already... and he wasn't about to quit just yet.

"Let me go!" Kai constantly yelled out through chokes and sobs.

"Shh, pipe down already! You'll wake everyone up!"

"Yeah, and then Boris'll come down here!" Tala swiftly added, crawling up next to the pair and lying on his stomach.

Hearing that name quickly silenced the bluenette, his eyes wide in fear. He knew perfectly well what that man did to anyone who disobeyed the rules. While he may've never been punished personally by the violet haired monstrosity – yet – he'd witnessed his methods before and certainly had no intention of causing any trouble that would lead to him and his roommates being tortured.

Although, he still didn't particularly enjoy being locked in an embrace, and therefore continued to push at the other boy's chest.

Which frustrated Bryan further more as he tightened his grip, forcing the child against him. "Hey, just settle down now!"

Much to his surprise, he soon obeyed and sat quietly; his tired arms were giving way due to all sobbing in the end. Fatigue engulfed his little form and he then nuzzled up into Bryan's chest, allowing the older Russian to gently rock him in his stronger arms. Kai had barely been in the Abbey a week, but these other boys were already trying to treat him like family... in a way. The deep concern Bryan felt for the newbie immediately conquered his tiredness.

"Now what's wrong, huh?" He inquired for the second time, but calmly. "D'you have a nightmare?"

Kai buried his face in Bryan's white shirt, grasping it tightly before nodding; those horrible images re-entering his mind.

The older boy gently began rubbing his back, "So, what was it abou-" but hastily interrupted himself when he suddenly felt something warm and rather sticky on his fingers.

He pulled back his hand and tried to focus on what was on it through the darkness, and it didn't take him long before he confirmed what his mind had already told him. He knew that substance all too well: blood.

Bryan swiftly shifted the boy forward and lifted up his damp shirt, startling at the horrific sight of multiple red oozing lashes across his entire back. "Hell!" The fair haired swore, upon realizing more loudly than intended when a fist came down hard against something from the next cell.

"Would'ja keep it down in there, Kuznetsov?! Some of us actually _need_ the sleep!"

He jumped again upon hearing their next door neighbour, but Bryan couldn't have been bothered about his ridiculous comments, "Ah, cram it!" He curtly answered back and ignored the other boy's muttered curses in response. _Damn idiot only wakes up _now_? _He snorted, and he also noticed that Kai had flinched and began whimpering again from their tone.

He was about to try and comfort him when their little redheaded companion shifted over to get a look at Kai's exposed back.

"Whoa!" He gawked and at least kept his voice to a reasonable volume, craning his neck to get a full view underneath the shirt, "You have even more than _me_!"

Kai wiped his face with an arm before turning to peer at him through one eye over his shoulder. "More than _you_? Really?" To which Bryan couldn't suppress a smirk; either that was the kid's sense of humor, sarcasm, or he was already developing an ego over all his wounds at his age.

"Tal, go get me some hot water and paper towels."

The middle Russian instantly obeyed, nodding before leaving the bed and retrieving a plastic container from the bedside cupboard.

Bryan in the meantime helped the youngest out of his gore stained pajama shirt, getting a much clearer view now at the slashes that riddled his back. He couldn't believe how any person could abuse a child this young so severely. Not even he himself received this kind of torture. Heck, the punishment could've _killed_ him! Combined with nightmares most likely of reliving the anguish, no wonder the kid was awake and having a mental breakdown; he wasn't even secure in his sleep. The older boy could only pity him. "We're gonna get these cleaned up, alright?" And received a weak nod from the bluenette. "Did Boris do this to you?"

This time he shook his head and whispered, "My grandfather."

"Bastard," Bryan muttered venomously at the same tone, biting down on his thumb nail. That was all the kid needed; _two _maniacs with whips and a lust for watching children in severe pain. This just made everything that much more complicated, but he was soon snapped out of his trail of thought as he swiftly grabbed hold of the container, now filled with the requested boiling water, before it spilt all over them as Tala struggled to keep it steady whilst walking back over to them. "Careful!" He warned the middle boy, who was now hauling himself up onto the bed and back to his original spot. "And no bouncing! Or else you'll be drinking whatever's left in here when I'm done."

Tala childishly stuck out his tongue but did what he was told and sat quietly against the wall, eying the other two. He quickly dropped the idea of asking, _And_ _what if there's _nothing _left in it? _When, _Ugh! He'd then probably make me drink from the toilet,_ crept into mind.

Bryan soon began work, retrieving the roll of paper towels from him and soaking a sheet in the water. It annoyed him most when they required the proper first aid supplies and weren't allowed access to any amongst themselves, and a trip to the Abbey's Medical Ward was something _every_ child avoided like the plague. They just had to settle for what they had. Which appeared to be bad enough for as soon as the wet tissue touched his skin, Kai let out a short squeal, burying his face in his arms and starting to cry all over again.

It didn't stop Bryan however as he continued to dab the cuts, wiping away all trace of the blood that covered his back. "Come now, no more tears," as well offering him _some_ sort of comfort. "I know it stings but just suck it up."

Not quite so simple, but Kai at least tried, sitting up straight and wiping his face again. Lucky enough for him, Tala quickly decided to intervene.

"Yeah, and don't worry," he beamed, kneeling over and practically glaring into Kai's paint-smudged face, "Bryan's really good at this. He did mine too."

Kai fixed his gaze into those large ice blue orbs. Tala sure looked trusting and innocent when he smiled that way, and he did a fine job at distracting the other boy while Bryan worked his healing magic.

After a few more moments of staring, Tala sat back and folded his arms with a prideful smirk and added, "And I never cried once."

"Ha! Liar," the eldest accused humorously, looking up at the baffled redhead. "Three times at _least_."

Boy, he loved it when Tala turned that shade of pink. "Did not!"

"Oh don't even _start_ that, Red," Bryan grinned slyly, leaving him with no other option but to huff in a silent defeat, and Kai to stare back and forth in puzzlement before eventually cracking his own smile.

---

It was roughly twenty minutes later when Bryan finally completed his job, but with no medical supplies it was only a matter of time till those cuts would decide to bleed again. After a brief survey of his work once disposing of the used sheets and bloodied water, he then stretched over to the cupboard and retrieved a hand towel that would easily fit around Kai's scraggy torso. It was the best he could offer him for now, and at least it would stop most of the blood from staining his clothes. "Feeling better?" He then asked, referring to both problems in general as he gently wrapped the towel around him.

Surprisingly, "Yeah," he replied in a hushed tone. Those wounds didn't hurt too badly now, and the fact the others were there with him had eased his earlier sense of vulnerability which was a relief... even if one wasn't fully conscious anymore.

Kai's scarlet brown eyes wondered over to Tala, who had dozed off during the course and was now lying stretched out on his back beside the two. It was late; only a few more hours to go before training started, and they desperately needed rest. Bryan followed his gaze, looking over the sleeping middle Russian before redirecting it back over to Kai, whose eyes were beginning to droop. A long day of training and trauma. A long night of _dealing_ with the day's trauma. Damn this Abbey!

Bryan snorted, uncharacteristically ruffling the little one's two-toned hair before picking him up and placing him on the edge of the bed, then reaching over and carefully scooping up Tala in his arms, trying his best not to wake the boy. _One down, and one more to go,_ he smirked, rising up and placing the redhead back in his own bed, bringing the covers up to his shoulders and was thankful he didn't stir. Now came the hard part: Kai.

He watched closely for a few more seconds as Tala turned on his side but remained sleeping before ducking underneath again, fishing out a clean shirt for Kai from one of the drawers under the bed.

Sitting back down beside him and helping him into it over the toweling, Bryan then put on a rather stern but completely drained expression. "Now, Kai," he began, waiting for the boy's full attention before continuing, "am I gonna be allowed to go back to _my_ bed?"

Kai suddenly flinched at the query; that meant they all had to go back to sleep now, and sleeping meant dreaming... and not all dreams were pleasant! He felt that sudden rush of vulnerability and lonesomeness sweep over him again. Bryan couldn't leave him now! He just couldn't! But... he couldn't say that to him either.

When a pair of abruptly fear stricken eyes and paled face confirmed his obvious guess, the older boy sighed, "Didn't think so." He then unexpectedly pulled himself further onto the bed. "Move over then," he encouraged, wriggling into the covers against the wall and turning to lie on his back. _This is so not dignified._

But just witnessing the sudden twinkle of sheer contentment in those eyes quickly banished the uneasiness. By then he'd considered taking the kid back to his own bed with him where they'd be more comfortable, but in no way was he wanting his sheets to be blood soaked even with that towel around him, and the possibility that the very ones he was lying under right this minute were probably stained with gore then sprung to mind. _Eww_, he thought silently, but exhaustion however got the better of him and he couldn't have cared less at that point and dismissed it. _Uh, what the heck? I'm due for a shower this week anyway._

Kai beamed at the other boy's graciousness before crawling under the covers and up to his free arm draped across the pillow, lying on his stomach and folding his arms on top of it till he was comfortably settled. He grinned at his eldest companion, gazing at him with shimmering orbs and was just about to thank him when Bryan suddenly caught sight of this.

"Hey, don't go getting use to this!" He warned, yet in a rather parental manner or like he was speaking to a little brother. Kai instantly lost his cheerfulness and simply glared in confusion. Noting this, Bryan regretted his harshness, but for the sake of the kid's wellbeing – in a sense – he continued his rant. "You're scared, I get that, but this is the Abbey, not a play-school. You're gonna have to learn to toughen up sooner or later, or else you'll have both Boris and your grandfather pounding the snot outta you all the time! Not to mention all the other kids."

Those words seemed to pierce like a dagger, though _shockingly_, Kai knew it was the truth. This was no place for weakling crybabies! He looked away from him and couldn't help but wanting to start tearing up again, but he wouldn't allow it this time. Both these boys had done so much for him already; accepting him into their little family, assisting him when in pain, looking out for his wellbeing and just being there when he needed friendship. The least he could do was to gain some independence and not let others walk all over him, and in turn, he too could maybe help them when they needed it... even if it all meant that he'd have to toughen it out by himself...

"But Tala, Spencer, Ian and I, we'll all be there for you when we can. We stick together and we know what you're going through. You're not alone."

He returned his focus upon him with much astonishment, but didn't respond, still trying to digest those words. Bryan had also turned away, eying the bottom of the bed just above them, but then redirecting it back over to the youngest Russian with an added smile.

A moment longer, and Kai finally allowed a wide grin to grace his own lips, beaming happily at the older boy, until an unexpected movement from under the covers caused him to jump. He flung himself into Bryan's chest before looking back at a strange lump in the bed, slowly making it's way up to the top. He startled as two bright red spikes popped out from under the blankets, soon accompanied by a pair of shining sapphire orbs glancing up at the boys, a mischievous smirk on it's lips.

"Tala," Bryan groaned, but rather amused by their friend's sneaky antics. "What are you doing?"

Said redhead's grin grew even wider while he giggled, settling himself next to Kai in the same position before replying, "I'm scared too."

That completely innocent and somewhat cheesy smirk he held certified his fib, but it was highly entertaining as he nuzzled up close to them, sandwiching Kai in the middle and trying to get comfortable on what little space was left of the tiny bed.

Bryan exhaled, massaging the bridge of his nose in a humorous defeat, "You're hopeless."

The two younger Russians then shared a snicker between each other before settling down and getting ready to nod off as well. Kai couldn't help but stare back and forth between his duo of friends… his family. They would always be there for him, and he felt a sense of peace cast over him for a change. True enough, the Abbey was a frightful, disturbing place, but Bryan was right; he wasn't alone, and he knew that they'd all go through hell during their stay, but having each other made it all the more bearable. "We all are," he corrected the older boy, placing his chin on his folded arms and allowing himself to drift off into a serene slumber.

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**(A/N):**

-- (Flails madly) Don'tcha just hate it when you like some parts of a fic and positively _LOATH_ others?! Seriously, either you're happy with it or you're not, not this half/half story!!! But oh well, let us simply ignore those annoying bits, shall we? :D

-- I think I totally butchered Kai and Talas' leadership status in this piece (I use the age excuse far too much... *runs and hides*), I just find it hard for a six and seven year old to show any true leadership, especially in the Abbey, buuuuuuuut.... the next piece should be more appealing. :D

Thank you all for reading. :D Hope you've enjoyed so far. Reviews are always welcome and most appreciated... not mention they make me write faster. ;D

'Till next time, thanks again and take care.

~Sandra (Dragon Mistress*)


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